a POST-MATCH interview with: Serena Williams

SERENA WILLIAMS vs. KELLY McCAIN

                        6-1, 6-0

             Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Q.  Can you talk about the atmosphere at night?  A little different, quiet?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  You know, every year I come here I enjoy it more and more.  The crowd was great.  They were really getting into the match.  And it was a great atmosphere.  It was a fun crowd.  It was a fun crowd.

Q.  You looked like you were hitting on all cylinders tonight.  Looked like the knee wasn't a bother, everything was in pretty good shape.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah.  I was feeling pretty good, so I'm really excited I’m playing better.  Each match I'm getting a little better, a little better, a little better.  By the time I figure the French comes, I'll be in top form.

Q.  It was 35 minutes, so now do you have to go out and hit again or is this enough?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  This is enough.  I hit before the match, and I've been practicing.  I practiced for like two hours the other day, so I think that had something to do with it.  I was so ready.  My feet are just like Mohammad Ali out there.

Q.  I guess you heard about Justine's withdrawal.  That leaves you as the top seed in the tournament.  Just any thoughts on that?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah.  It's disappointing that she had to pull out, but I guess she's having her issues, like everyone is having their issues.  Like I always say, we have to play way too many tournaments on this tour.  They hate when I say that, I'm sticking to my word.

Q.  You're not the only one who's said that.  Do you think that's why we've had rashes of injuries sometimes?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Absolutely.  Absolutely.  I'm the first to agree to it.  Yeah.

Q.  So I guess, then, you might not be the first to agree to, for example, the men have to play all the Masters Series Events, but I don't think the WTA has required you to play all Tier I events.  So in one way maybe you guys have it a little

easier than the guys in that sense.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  There's a lot of things about both tours that you don't know.  There's a lot of things.  So I mean it's a great -- I'm happy to be -- I think women's tennis, the

WTA Tour is the best for female athlete ever, and I feel honored

to be a part of the Tour.  I was talking to other people who were

in different professions, and after talking to them, I realized, wow, I'm really lucky and I feel blessed to be a part of the Tour, but you know, everybody's complaining.

Q.  How about telling me what I don't know.  Some more important information?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  We'll have to get together on that.  You need to schedule an interview.

Q.  You heard that.  We're getting together.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  I might not be available. 

Q.  Aren't you going to ask who's going to win "The Apprentice"?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  I'm going to stick to my guns and say Bill.  I'm going to say Bill.  But I don't know.  I think everyone thinks Bill, so maybe Kwame will win, but I'm sticking with Bill.